The League recently submitted a letter of support to the Landmarks Preservation Board in Yonkers to express support for designating The Yorkshire as a local landmark.

As stated in the Landmarks Application, The Yorkshire is a “public amenity” and “public delight” much beloved by the surrounding community. It is also an architecturally significant Tudor Revival apartment building, part of a collection of apartment buildings on Garrett Place that reflect the social and architectural history of Yonkers. The Yorkshire is also an important piece of Yonkers social fabric, as it provides necessary affordable housing through many rent-controlled and stabilized apartment.

Click here to read the full letter.

The Preservation League recently submitted a letter to the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, urging them to reconsider their proposal to demolish the National Register-listed Debar Pond Lodge. This proposal by New York State is an egregious violation of the 1980 NYS Historic Preservation Act — as well as not being environmentally friendly, wasting the resources contained within this beautiful 20th century landmark. We support our Preservation Colleague, Adirondack Architectural Heritage (AARCH), who has also called for NYS DEC to table their draft scoping statement calling for demolition, bring together stakeholders, and allow for a thorough discussion of alternative solutions for the lodge.

Click here to read the League’s letter.

AARCH put together a video featuring the lodge and property, with Executive Director Steven Engelhart providing an overview of the property's history and his organization's involvement in seeking preservation solutions for the lodge.

On October 21, the League's Vice President for Policy and Preservation Erin Tobin had the great honor of participating in the New York State Senate Arts & Culture Roundtable. This event focused on the pandemic's impact on arts and cultural institutions, as well as the integral role these institutions will play in New York State's post-pandemic recovery. Erin's presentation focused specifically on the role that historic preservation plays in stimulating economic development, affordable housing, and the creation of artistic spaces.

Read more in the League's written statement and watch the recorded webcast below.

Since 2010, when we included Willert Park/A.D. Price Courts on our Seven to Save list, the Preservation League has supported Preservation Buffalo Niagara's work to save this significant historic site. Now we join them in calling for the Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority to begin the mandated federal review process and sit down with stakeholders. Click here to join the advocacy effort with Preservation Buffalo Niagara. 

Click here to read the League’s letter of support.

Click here to read the League’s support letter.

We are pleased that 17 partner organizations signed-on showing overwhelming support for the following preservation initiatives increasing the historic tax credit from 20% to 30% for small projects, renewing the historic barn tax credit, maintaining funding for historic sites, support for the Environmental Protection Fund, and inclusion in a future Environmental Bond Act. All of which will provide much needed economic stimulus in a post-COVID economy in New York State. We look forward to continuing to work with the agency and our colleagues on important preservation matters.

Community members have rallied around the modest 1911 gambrel home located at 88-28 43rd Avenue in Elmhurst. A recommendation submitted to the city’s Landmarks and Preservation Commission details the historical significance of the home, which was formerly the longtime home of Walentyna Janta-Polczynska, the “First Lady of Polish Americans.”

Walentyna, a WWII Polish War Heroine, resided at this residence until she passed away on April 2, 2020 at 107 years old. She was the last living member of the Polish Government-in-Exile and from 1940 to 1943 she served as a confidante and secretary of the prime minister and commander in chief, General Wladyslaw Sikorski. Her home became an important stopping place for Polish emigre elite fleeing Communist Poland as well as distinguished scholars, professors, and dignitaries. 

This cultural site is a rare example of significance not only for Polish and Polish American culture but on the accomplishments of a modern female war heroine. To read more about Walentyna’s accomplishments, check out this article. You can also read our letter of support, which outlines the historic and cultural importance of this site.

On September 8, the Southampton town board voted unanimously to pass two resolutions to address the preservation of unmarked burials and grave sites within the town. Resolution 2020-759 serves to protect the sanctity of unmarked burial sites by creating the position of town archaeologist, establishing a clear local process when remains are uncovered, ensure consultation, and explore acquisition of land from willing sellers. Resolution 2020-760 enacts a temporary six month moratorium on certain development actions within the hamlet of Shinnecock Hills, which will allow the review of current laws and ensure that human remains and associated funerary artifacts remain undisturbed to the greatest extent possible. 

You can read more here, in our letter of support, and review the text of the resolutions here.

We applaud Southampton for taking actions to celebrating its historic and cultural past!

House Passes H.R. 2 Infrastructure Bill, inclusive of HTC-GO Enhancements & Temporarily Addressing COVID-19 Distressed Projects 

The Invest in America Act [aka the Moving Forward Act], includes $1.5 trillion to fund infrastructure projects. It dedicates about $400 billion in infrastructure investments for roads, bridges, and transit, and includes key Historic Tax Credit (HTC) improvements and temporary measures related to COVID-19 recovery endorsed by the historic preservation community.

Thank you to our New York House Representatives for supporting this effort, including those who co-sponsored the bill: Yvette Clarke [NY-9], Adriano Espaillat [NY-13], Brian Higgins [NY-26], Carolyn Maloney [NY-12], Sean Patrick Maloney [NY-18], Gregory Meeks [NY-5], Joseph Morelle [NY-25], Thomas Suozzi [NY-3], Paul Tonko [NY-20], Nydia Velazquez [NY-7].

A big thank you to all of our supporters who joined us in this advocacy effort. Your efforts and support of the Preservation League clearly communicated how important preservation is to our economic recovery. This legislation supports preservation in the following ways:

• A temporary increase for all federal historic tax credit projects to aid in post pandemic recovery (30% through 2024, stepping back down to 20% by 2027), and a temporary extension to rehab deadlines impacted by the pandemic;

• Make permanent most of the provisions in the Historic Tax Credit Growth and Opportunity Act, H.R. 2825/S. 2615 (HTC-GO) including: 30% Historic Tax Credit for projects under $2.5 million;

• Eliminates the HTC Basis Adjustment, bringing more value to HTC’s;

• Reduces the Historic Rehab Test to 50% of a building’s basis instead of 100%; 

• Makes the credit easier to use by nonprofits; and

• Includes a provision for communities to rehabilitate existing public schools using the HTC.

Join our continuing advocacy efforts:

Contact Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand to share how HTC projects impacted by the pandemic would benefit from temporary HTC provisions in emerging COVID-19 relief Senate legislation. Explain how these enhanced and temporary HTC provisions would bring relief to distressed projects. Suggested messaging to Senators:

• “Please include these needed HTC enhancements that were in the recent House infrastructure bill (H.R. 2) to the next Senate bill, so it may be used as a tool to enable future projects to aid in the economic recovery.”

• Describe obstacles that local projects have faced during the pandemic, such as extra costs incurred and project financing difficulties.

• Share the HTC Recommendations for COVID-19 Relief and Recovery Legislation 

• Explain how the recommended provisions would help these projects and bring back the pipeline of HTC projects that are stalled in your community.

We applaud the House for recently introducing the Moving Forward Act, to aid in COVID-19 response and recovery. Investment in our communities will greatly aid in this response, and historic preservation is key to revitalization efforts. Page 86 of the Act outlines a way to leverage investment by temporarily increasing the Historic Tax Credit (HTC) from 20% to 30% for 5 years. Further, it amends the disqualified lease rules, making the HTC easier for nonprofits and other tax-exempt entities to access it by including projects like health care centers, arts organizations, community services, workforce training providers, and others to use the HTC. This legislation also includes several provisions of the Historic Tax Credit Growth and Opportunity Act, which we have been supporting this past year. 

You can help by contacting your New York Congressional Representative and encouraging them to co-sponsor the Historic Tax Credit Growth and Opportunity Act in the House, and ask Senators to support the introduction of similar legislation. 

On June 4, 2020, H.R. 7092, The Great American Outdoors Act was introduced by the House as the counterpart to S. 3422 previously introduced by the U.S. Senate back in March.

The preservation community is particularly hopeful about the additional good this legislation can do as it addresses the $12 billion maintenance backlog in national parks and public lands to support the preservation of historic and cultural properties.

This legislation will also provide dedicated funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), the nation’s premier recreation and preservation support program.

Thank you to New York Representatives John Katko, Lee Zeldin, Elise Stefanik, and Max Rose for co-sponsoring this important legislation.